Archives

PM’s Office reveals Samy Vellu’s salary

FORMER Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu is paid a salary of RM27,227.20, including allowances, as the government’s special envoy to South Asia, the Prime Minister’s Office has revealed.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said the former MIC chief’s role was to help Malaysian construction firms break into the South Asian market.

As special envoy with ministerial rank, Samy will also receive “other amenities and allowances” from the Government, which has hired six staff to operate the special envoy’s office in Plaza Sentral, Kuala Lumpur.

“The job scope of the envoy does not clash with other Malaysian officials in South Asia as his responsibility is only to identify infrastructural projects in the fast-growing region that Malaysian companies can venture into in accordance with local laws and regulations,” Nazri said in a written reply to Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng.

Besides India, other South Asian countries under Samy Vellu’s portfolio include Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives.

Samy Vellu was named as special envoy for infrastructure to South Asia in December by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak after stepping down as MIC president, a post Samy had held for 31 years.

This was based on his experience in securing billions of ringgit worth of projects for Malaysian companies during his tenure as Works Minister.

Meanwhile, Nazri told Nga Kor Ming (DAP-Taiping) in a written reply that the Government spent some RM3.41mil on maintenance for the official residences of the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department last year.

“About RM1.76mil was spent on Seri Perdana and RM1.59mil on Sri Satria, the Deputy Prime Minister’s official residence, in 2010,” Nazri said, adding that the remaining RM60,000 was spent on the residences of the five ministers in the PM’s Department.

Nazri also revealed that the total renovation costs for the Seri Perdana complex to date was RM4.4mil.

“The bulk of the RM4.4mil went to preparation works for the opening of the complex to the public,” he said.